Thermo control for fire-doors



c. E. ENGLE. v 1 THEBMQ CONTROL r03 FIRE ooons. v v APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,191 9- RENEWED JULY 21. 192! ..1,392,002,- PatentedSept. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

'INVENTOR ATTORNEY C. E. ENGLE.

THEHMO CONTROL FOR FIRE DOORS- APPLICATQON FILED JULY 21,1919. RENEWED my 21.1921. 1,392,002.

PatentedSept. 27,1921;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER E. ENGLE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

THERl VIO CONTROL FOR FIRE-DOORS.

Application filed July 21, 1919, Serial No. 312,378.

To all. whom it mayo 0n cem Be itknown that I, CHESTER ENGLE,

.a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Therino Controls for F ire-Doors, of which the following is a complete specification.

The presentinvention relates to fire door constructions, and aims to provide an improved arrangement and construction in which the fire door is. antomaticallyactuated into closed position in case of a fire.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to devise a door of this character which is movable automatically into closed position and provided withmeans for main taining it normally latched in open position,

together with thermo-control means for tripping the latch means to permit the door to move to its'closed osition.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a fire door structure of the character described in which the thermo control means includes thermo-responsive elements located in. the most advantageous position for actuation inthe presence of a fire in order that theremay be no delay in the movement of the door at the critical moment when such operation of the door is most imperative.

The invention further comprises. provision for adjustment of the thermostatic means for proper control andregulation of the action thereof.

It is also sought to provide a practical and eflicient as well as comparatively simple construction of thetype described, and one which will be of an inexpensive character and easy to install.

With these general objects ,in view, the invention will now bedescribed with reference'to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of construction which has been devised for embodying the improvements, after which the features therein deemed to be novel will beset forth. and particularly defined inthe appended claims.

. In the drawingsf r r Figure 1 is a frontelevation, with parts broken away, showing a fire door structure in which is embodied the present features of improvement; v

Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed July 21, 1921. Serial No. 486,616.

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation. on an enlarged scale, showing the door latchin andtripping mechanism; and .23.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the thermo-responsive element-s of the thermostatic latch control. Referring to the drawings in detail, these illustrate the improved construction as com prising a fire door 60f the. ordinary type adapted to be moved into and out of closed position with reference to a door opening 8. The door 6 is provided with hangers 10 carrying rollers 12 operating along an in clined track 14, whereby the door is adapted to be actuated by gravity into closed position into engagement with stop brackets 16 located at one side of the door opening 8i 'lo one of'the upper corners of the door 6 is attached a cable 18 carrying a counterweight 20 and operating around a sheave wheel 22 which is mounted in a bracket 24 secured to the wall at the height of the top of the door opening 8, whereby said counterweight cooperates with the action of gravity to effect a more certain movement of the door to closed position.

At the opposite upper, corner of the door 6, the sameisprovided with a catch lug 26-which is adapted'for engagement by the free end of a latch bar 28 suitably pivoted at .30 to the wall, the free end of said bar 28 operating-slidingly within a fixed keeper 32. A weight 34:- is adjustable along the latch bar 28 for regulating the force required to liftthe same out of engagement with/the catch lug 26.

Thermostatic means is provided for automatically tripping the latch bar 28 out of engagement with the catch lug 26 of the door in case of fire. This means comprises suitable thermo-responsive elements such as one or morethin hollow disks 36 of appropriate thermo-responsive -material, -'inclosed with a metallic housing 38 mounted in position just over the door opening 8 in the most favorable position for being influenced by a rise in the temperature in the vicinity of Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

saidopening. Preferably the lower side of c said housing 88 is provided with a plurality of perforations 39 for freely admitting the air to the interior of the housing. The said disks 36 are provided with a fixed supporting stem tOsecured by a nut 42 at one end of the housing, while in the other end of said housing is threaded a nipple 44 through which is slidingly passed a ,rod 46 into threaded engagement with a stem 48 proj ecting from the adjacent disk36. The nipple 44 is formed with a wing or thumb-em gaging portion 50 and provided with a clamplng nut 52 whereby said nipple may be secured in whatever position it may be adjusted relatively to the housing 38. Interposed between the ends of the nipple 44 and the stem 48 is a spring 54 coiled about the sliding rod 46 and inclosed by a sleeve 56 fitted against the end of said nipple and telescoping over the adjacent end of the stem 48. The rod 46 is pivotally connected to one end of a bell crank lever 58 mounted in a bracket 60 overlying the latch bar 28, the other end of said lever 58 being provided with a swivel element 61 and nut 62 for pivotally and adjustably supporting the upper end of a rod 64. The lower end of this rod 64 is provided with a pair of nuts '66 for adjustable connection with one end of a rocker arm 68 which is mounted in a bracket 7 0 below the latch bar 28 in position for lifting engagement of the other end of said rocker arm with the lower edge of said latch bar for the purpose of tripping and releasing said latch bar when the thermostatic means is operated as will now be eX- plained.

In the operation of the construction as above described, it is apparent that in case of a fire, with the fire door 6 open, the thermoresponsive elements of the thermostatic control means are arranged in a position most favorable for their being influenced by a rise in the temperature, since the air currents induced by the temperature changes always move in the direction of any passages from the room, such as the door opening 8, and in -which vicinity the highest temperature will be around the top of said opening 8. As soon as the temperature in j the vicinity of the housing 38 rises above a given point, as predetermined by the adjustment of the spring 54:, the rod 46 is actuated in the direction of the lever 58, due to the expansion of the elements 36 in response to the rise in temperature, and the continued thrust thus exerted and transmitted through the connections to the rocker arm 68 finally lifts the latch bar 28 out of engagement with the catch lug 26, thereby releasing the door, which at once descends into position for closing the door opening 8. The extent of movement required for operating the latch tripping mechanism may of course be readily varied by regulating the positions of the nuts 62 and 66, and a further and finer adjustment of the latch trip ping means is possible by varying the amount of force required to operate the same, as by adjusting the tension of the spring 54;

by manipulation of the nipple 44 and nut 52, and also by varying the position of the weight 34 on the latch bar 28.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a practical and efiicient arrangement and construction adapted to function at the most critical moment at the first appearance of a fire, since the thermo-responsive elements are positioned at the point where the rise in temperature will first be felt, and the fire door will be promptly released and moved into closed position without delay.

While I have illustrated and described what now appears to constitute the preferred form of embodiment of the proposed improvements, I desire to reserve the right to make such formal changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fire door structure comprising, in combination with a door opening, a door movable automatically into closed position over said opening, a latch bar carrying an adjustable counterweight and operative to latch said door in open position, and thermostatic means operating automatically to trip said latch bar and release said door, including thermo -responsive elements mounted in position overhanging said door'opening.

2. A fire door structure comprising, in combination with a door opening, a door movable automatically into closed position over said opening, means for latching said door in open position, and thermostatic means operating automatically to release said latching means, said thermostatic means including thermo-responsive elements mounted in position overhanging said door opening and provided with a yielding connection with said latching means for transmitting the expansive action of said elements, and means for regulating the tension of said yielding connection.

3. A fire door structure comprising, in combination with a door opening, a door movable automatically into closed position over said opening, means for latching said door in open position, and thermostatic means operating automatically to release said latching means, said thermostatic means including thermo-responsive elements mounted in position overhanging said door opening, and a housing inclosing said thermo-responsive elements and provided with perforations on the side of said housing which faces toward saiddoor opening.

4. Fire door releasing means comprlsing,

in combination, means for latching the door, and thermostatic means operating automatically to release said latching mean's, said thermostatic means including thermo-reforce transmitted from said thermo-responsive elements to said rod.

5. Fire door releasing means comprising, in combination, means for latching the door, and thermostatic means operating automatically to release said latching means, said thermostatic means including thermo-responsive elements provided with a rod forming a connection with said latching means, and an adjustable device operating to relieve said rod of a part of the force exerted by said thermo-responsive elements.

6. Fire door releasing means comprising, in combination, means for latching the door, and thermostatic means operating automatically to release said latching means, said thermostatic means including thermo responsive elements provided with a rod forming a thrust connection with said latching means, and means for regulating the degree of force transmitted from said thermo-responsive elements to said rod, said regulating means comprising a spring engaged by one of said thermo-responsive elements in the expanding movement thereof, and an adjustable stop screw for regulating the tension of said spring.

7 In witness whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

1 CHESTER E. EN GLE. 

